Cyn's Nature Notes: An abundance of birds and a nervous pheasant

Sunday 8 January 2012

An abundance of birds and a nervous pheasant

A cold January day. Light to medium cloud cover, sadly no sun.

So many birds today, glancing out of the window mid morning I saw a pheasant, moorhen and a pigeon all feeding together. A pair of long tailed tits were bathing in an upturned dustbin lid, while blackbirds were lining up at another birdbath and the robin, a great tit, a blue tit and a female blackbird were all bathing in the pond.

Little wrens have been scouting for food on the bank, around the water's edge in the pond, and by the bird bath near the hanging feeding station. Four goldfinches were seen in a border across the lawn, I am always pleased to see these pretty red cheeked birds in the garden.

Although pleased to see them, I was dismayed to see only two long tailed tits and four goldfinches because at this time of the year, we are used to seeing them in flocks.

Bluetits have been in and out of boxes, a pair of robins caught my attention by their loud singing and when I glanced out of the patio door there they were, not a foot from me and about six inches from each other, red chests proudly pushed out, heads thrown back, beaks open and singing vociferously.

The pheasants are back and forth all day for hand outs and are to be seen almost any time from the window, by visually searching amongst the borders. The young powder blue backed pheasant, who is my favourite is still nervous around the emperor, despite the fact that there is now no difference in size and even the length and breadth of their tails is similar. Sadly this started some years back when they were tiny handfuls of fluff, for some reason as a youngsters he was ostracised by his siblings and mother. He was constantly pecked and driven away by all, he took to existing by following his family at a distance and skirting the edges of their normal lives.

He learned to come for food when the others weren't around, I felt sorry for him, always on the fringes never part of the family, I worried for him on cold nights, when I knew the others would be cuddled together, probably close to their mother, but each morning there he was, waiting patiently under the window and so it has remained and if I look out and he is not there in the morning, I only have to call to him and he will appear from some part of the garden and come running across for his breakfast, and I feel thankful that none of the foxes have managed to capture him.

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About this Blog

When we moved to our present home in December 1987, I was very ill and bedridden. My garden was a life-saver, although it was very different then. The first thing I did was to put up bird-feeders, and long hours were spent lying indoors in a recliner. This was when I discovered many things. Do you know the underside of every blue tit’s tail is differently marked? Gradually, over the years, the garden changed. We put in shrubs and plants that would not only enhance the garden, but would also be good for wildlife. The first rabbit we saw was so joyful for us. The deer eat the flowers, prune the apple trees, eat the marrow, and are wonderful to watch. Foxes have been a major part of our wildlife. We have fed them each night for more than 20 years. They are such a delight, especially in late summer and early autumn when there are youngsters. They behave like puppies and are great fun to watch.

I love all wildlife: the mason bees that nest in the brickwork of the bungalow, the hornets that last year made their home in the roof above our bedroom, the bees currently nesting in the roof above the bathroom. On a hot evening, if you stand quietly in the bathroom, you can hear this amazing sound: it is very rhythmic and reminds me of the waves at the seaside. It is made by the beating of the bees’ wings as they fan their nest to keep the temperature at the right level -- how many people have heard that sound? I feel so privileged.

Obviously, I feed the birds. When I open the window in the morning I call “Come on Bobby and Blackie”, and one followed swiftly by the other they fly immediately to the bird table. Each morning, on rising, I make my way to the kitchen and find the squirrels already sitting on the window ledge waiting to be fed. Winter brings the moorhens and spring time the mallards. Our pond is a poor effort from a human point of view, but wild creatures see it differently. On summer days, the grass snakes spend long hours in the pond: eating the fish, froglets, toadlings, newts, and any other living creature they can swallow. Although I hate to see the pond emptied this way, I do enjoy the snakes and feel they are an important part of the balance of nature in the garden. Watching a dragonfly nymph climbing out of the pond, up a plant stalk, and then over the next few hours gradually transforming into a beautiful dragonfly -- these are contented hours well spent.

It has been my pleasure to write and publish a nature column each month. I am always delighted to hear how much pleasure this brings to my readers. I have often been asked if I have written a book, so I am making more of my writings and photography available through this web site and blog.